


Insomnia

by HolmesianDeduction



Category: Chess - Rice/Ulvaeus/Andersson
Genre: Don't copy to another site, F/M, Insomnia, Literal Sleeping Together, Multi, Polyamory, Sleeping arrangements, dealing with trauma (badly)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 22:11:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17129648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolmesianDeduction/pseuds/HolmesianDeduction
Summary: Florence never could stomach sleeping alone.





	Insomnia

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in February of 2011.

           Florence Vassy had never, would never admit it aloud to anyone – not to the ragged remains of what little family she had left, and certainly not to anyone who found themselves in bed with her – but she hated sleeping alone.  Not just because she was easily chilled, but the prospect filled her with a visceral fear that she had never quite conquered entirely.  Nonetheless, she had done it more often than not, swallowing the fear like hot bile and gritting her teeth against the sudden sense of isolation.

           Then there had been Freddie, who also couldn’t bear to sleep alone, and while it was longer than anyone would guess before they had fucked for the first time, they had shared a bed almost since day one, faces buried in each other’s hair and limbs tangled together in a desperate mesh of panic.  And if he ever noticed the marks left by her nails digging into his arms in the dead of night, he never mentioned it and she conveniently omitted any mention of his waking up in the early hours of the morning in shambles.

           When Anatoly had entered the picture, things became strange.  He had no objection to sleeping alone – it was like second nature to him, but he also didn’t object to the company that came with sharing his bed, even if the concern on his face in the morning was difficult to bear.  But he was nothing if not discreet, and let Florence keep her own counsel for however long as she desired.  Still, the first time she had woken up crying, he had been awake within an instant and had wordlessly stayed as close as he could until she had quieted.  She had been furious with herself for days, and had rebutted any attempt to talk about it.

           To her left, Freddie stirred in his sleep, his breath catching in his throat and staying there for several seconds before he finally exhaled in a shaky gasp, one of his hands pawing in the dark until it found Florence’s arm and he stilled a little, his face turning into her shoulder.  Sighing, she shifted, burying her face in Anatoly’s curls, pretending to be asleep when she felt him wake up until he settled back down with a soft hum, one of his hands drifting back to pat her hip briefly through the sheets and she forced down a smile.

           Sometimes, at least, some things turn out all right.


End file.
